The Mini 3 is futureproof thanks to fingerprint scanning but makes the iPad Mini 2 too much of a bargain to ignore

The best small tablet experience; Touch ID for unlock and iTunes; Gorgeous build; stunning Retina screen; All-day battery life

The Mini 2 is now much better value; No spec bumps like the iPad Air 2; Non expandable; no 32GB; Slightly inferior colours next to Air 2

This is a fantastic iPad Mini, but it's a terrible deal. We recommend you buy a cheaper 32GB iPad Mini 2 and wait a year to get a fingerprint sensor.

Touch ID sensor; High-quality retina screen; Great size for reading; As good as any

Limited upgrade over iPad Mini 2; Last year's specs offer little incentive to upgrade; Entry-level model's 16GB of storage doesn't cut it

Blink and you might have missed it. The iPad mini 3 made an especially quiet debut at Apple's latest event, a mere footnote compared with the iPad Air 2 . With the dust now settled, it's easy to see why-aside from a gold paintjob, Touch ID sensor, and Apple SIM, the $399 16GB mini 3 receives no...

Beautifully built; Fast; Sharp screen; Excellent app options

Pricey; Few reasons to buy over the less-expensive, still-available iPad mini 2

Apple knows how to make a cracking tablet, and we loved the iPad mini 2 when it launched last year. It offered all the power of the Air in a smaller form factor, and while it wasn't cheap, it was awesome. But seeing it reproduced almost identically 12 months on doesn't pack the same punch.

Sleek design; Good app access; Touch ID for security

Too similar to mini 2; Pricey compared to last year; Not as powerful as Air 2

The iPad mini 2 is Apple's best mini yet, but it's too similar to last year's model and substantially worse than the iPad Air 2 .

Stylish design; Touch ID; Good screen

Underpowered; Very similar to mini 2; Expensive

What can I say about the iPad mini 3 that hasn't already been said No, seriously, what can I say Apple's latest mini is essentially the same product as the first iPad Mini With Retina display with exactly four upgrades, only three of which are significant.

The iPad Air 2 is Apple's most powerful tablet yet, and is incredibly thin and light. It's a solid upgrade over last year's Air, and should definitely be one of your top tablet considerations.

Beautiful; thin aluminum design; Incredibly powerful A8X chip; Touch ID included; Upgraded camera; Touch ID now comes included; Long battery life; Good performance

Battery life could be better; Some will miss the mute switch; Only a couple of upgrades; Commands a $100 premium over last year's model

For the past few years, most of the technology world has ruled by a cold, hard truth: to get the best thing, you pretty much had to get the biggest thing . Every Android phone was bigger than the last, and the smaller ones were always disappointing. Apple, though, staunchly resisted this trend.

iPad app ecosystem; Strong battery life; Beautiful hardware

Last year's screen; Last year's processor; Last year's camera

For those who are dying to use Apple Pay for online purchases and don't want to bother with passwords, the iPad mini 3 is a solid pick, but the iPad Air 2's faster A8X chip, richer anti-reflective display and better 8-MP camera make that the best tablet in Apple's lineup.

Apple's smaller tablet is about the size of a book and gains a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, gold colour and extra storage option – but that's it

compact; good screen; fingerprint sensor; good battery life; solid build

barely any change from last year; expensive; no expandable storage; square screen